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Original poster

Should you ever just say, "that's it, lets just buy the next house that is ok" after seeing 30 or more?

52 replies

LizziePizzie · 20/08/2012 15:45

We had an offer on our house about 2 months ago and can't find anything that we both like. Its either got too few bedrooms, garden is too small, no parking, not great neighbourhood, etc etc and we go back on rightmove and keep looking. I don't hink our buyers are going anywhere but I am getting very frustrated that there is NOTHING we both agree on that fits 100% of our criteria.

We saw the perfect house at the weekend and if it weren't for the fact it was right on a main road, we would have put in an offer.

How picky should we be? How unreasonable are we being? Will we regret buying something if it is only 90% our dream home? Should we hold out for the perfect house? What are your deal breakers for buying a house?

OP posts:
FunbleBummy · 20/08/2012 16:03

It is difficult isn't it! We searched for months and the best advice I can give you is to keep an open mind. We thought we wanted a modern house, quiet cul-de-sac, towar town. We bought a pre Vicorian converted, extended shop, on a through road next to a pub, and with a bus stop 2 doors down. Whilst that all sounds pretty off putting it is a) beautiful, large open plan inside, 3 decent sized bedrooms, good school catchment. And when inside we have no idea what is going on outside. And the pub garden is actually quieter than the gardens from our previous close. So what we thought were our deal breakers (road, direction from town) actually weren't. Instead they were space, bedrooms,schools, work required on the new place.

I still wonder if we did compromise because we had searched for so long, or if we would have bought our new house a year ago if we had seen it. I suppose it doesn't really matter as it was the right place at the right time.

Hope you find something soon.

MrsJREwing · 20/08/2012 16:33

Is renting an option?

Fizzylemonade · 20/08/2012 16:36

We bought a house next to a park, as in green open space park not play area.

We wrote this house off because of the park. Then all the local hoodies started just sitting on the kerb at the end of our street drinking from cans. Issue was they were sat outside the house that belonged to one of the hoodies parents so they wouldn't be asked to move on.

We realised that people can congregate anywhere. Our old estate has an ASBO on it now and a curfew. We have a gorgeous house, big enough garden for the children to run around in and a beautiful outlook.

We knew where we wanted to live and took a chance. I do believe it is all about compromise. The compromise on this house is it hasn't been touched since it was built 13 years ago so it has the original carpets, gold taps in the the bathroom, gold wallpaper and terracotta everywhere.

But, give it a few years and we will have decorated more of it and it will be lovely.

How much would the main road bother you? Can you hear it when you are inside the house? What about when you are in the garden? Does the house have parking?

Here you can hear a pin drop so I constantly shush the children in the garden as it is all you can ever hear Blush

Sabriel · 20/08/2012 16:47

We ended up doing just that. We looked at so many houses. Those I liked he hated and vice versa. There was something "wrong" with all of them - location, room size, layout, whatever. Then we had a day where we looked at 8 houses. The first one of the day we both liked - it felt like home - and each of the others we both said "liked the first one better". So we ended up buying that one.

It ticked none of our boxes - no driveway, not particularly pleasant location, back boiler, only one toilet - but it was the only house we both liked.

financialwizard · 20/08/2012 17:26

We have recently returned to the UK and need to buy no more than an hour away from Mr FW's work. We spent 2 days viewing about 20 properties in varying locations and are going to look at 4 more this week, plus a 5th which is a second viewing. The second viewing is somewhat of a compromise, but it is the only one that 'could' work for us. It doesn't have the study that Mr FW wants, and it isn't the old cottagey house that I wanted. However, it is better linked for transport for DS school and Mr F_W work, it has a lovely size garden for DD, and it also has a nice play area for young children on the green opposite. It is also not far from the PIL's, and has a fabulous secondary school for DS to attend.

This is going to be our forever house, so although people might think we have rushed there is literally nothing else on the market suitable for us.

lecce · 20/08/2012 19:02

I do think you need to be open to compromise to an extent. I think you need to sort out your wish-list into categories- things that you really do need and things that are more 'wants'. Number of bedrooms is obviously fundamental (unless one is to a guestroom/study that you could do without or put somewhere less conventional), but other things I think you need to question yourself - do you really need parking if it's a quiet road, how big is 'not big enough' for a garden? etc

Tbh, I think if you've seen 30 houses and have seen nothing that has everything you want, it may be that you can't afford everything you want - though in this market I suppose you could look at more expensive stuff and make a cheeky offer.

We have always loved period houses but during this search we have had to face the fact that we can't afford a lovely period home that is where we want to be and has the space we want. We have had an offer accepted on 1990s house - it is an individual property built by its current owner and we are really excited by the space it offers but also about living somewhere fairly modern and doing something different with it rather then obsessing over fireplaces, cornicing etc I think you out to push yourselves and 'go out of your comfort zone', as it were.

CMOTDibbler · 20/08/2012 19:07

Having moved a few times now (and every intention of moving again) we are quite good at having a shory list of musts and a longer list of 'would be nice'. We viewed 10 houses in our current location before finding this one which was good enough - could have gone on and on, but we couldn't be doing with it all

Original poster
LizziePizzie · 21/08/2012 11:29

We do have a deal breaker list, general size of the house is one, size of garden is another, and noise is the third. I always do a minimum 3 bed search on rightmove, and with about £50,000 over our budget so we can 'make a cheeky bid' if we like it (even these houses are discounted for one reason or another!).

There is one house on the list that weirdly has a couple of deal breakers, but we like it, so we are getting planning advice before we make an offer. But it is a 1900 listed semi so I don't hold out much hope. (BUT IT HAS A CELLER ? which we love!)

Oh ? I am also bored with looking and during this weather it is not only too hot, but not how I want to spend my weekends!

OP posts:
Schoolworries · 21/08/2012 15:45

I think a huge majority of people who are tied to certain areas for work or schools have had to compromise some way or another with the house.

I think until you are free from either constraint there is likely a sacrifice will have been made with the actual house.

I suppose its something to look forward to later in life- the chance to finally live wherever you want in the dream home with only yourself to worry about!

MousyMouse · 21/08/2012 16:02

absolutely keep an open mind.
we wanted a modern house, close to work, off street parking, 'potential'...
there just wasn't anything like that on the market.
now have bought a victorian terrace, no off street parking a bit further from work as I would have liked. mainly because a) is has a lot of space and large garden b) comfortably in our budget c) lovely neighbourhood.

in an ideal world we would have liked to self build, but there are only developer plots in this area, or sites so tiny with ridiculous restrictions...

minipie · 21/08/2012 19:11

We compromised on 2 of our criteria (slightly noisy road and price!!) after a year and a half looking. Along the way we had rejected a couple of houses which with hindsight would have been great. Prices went up in the meantime Sad

So yes, I think there does come a point when you have to accept that the perfect house is never going to appear and you need to compromise. But do compromise on the right things, not just "the next house that is ok because we are tired of looking".

Rhubarbgarden · 21/08/2012 19:27

I'd caution against just giving up and buying something just because you are sick of looking. We looked for two years and had got to the 'right, this one'll do' stage and very nearly bought something that really was in the wrong area. Fortunately before we actually offered on it we spotted a new house on the market that looked like our dream house. We were outbid on that, but then two more 'perfect' houses came on and suddenly we'd gone from not liking anything to being spoilt for choice. Now we are in the process of actually buying something, another 'dream house' has come on the market and I'm just Shock. Can't believe now that we looked for two years without liking a single thing!

Chubfuddler · 21/08/2012 19:32

I'd complete your sale before your buyer gets pissed off and rent for six months.

bumbez · 22/08/2012 09:05

The house on the main road that you liked- is there anything you can do about the noise, ie double glazing will reduce the sound inside and planting conifers in the front garden - if there is one?

It may be that you can't afford all the things that you want and may need to
Compromise.

We very nearly didn't buy our current house because it doesn't have parking but actually parking has never been a problem, and had it been there is a big enough front garden to have put it in.

Good luck :)

minipie · 22/08/2012 11:55

ooh, Rhubarb, what's the new dream house? is it in Brighton?

Rhubarbgarden · 22/08/2012 15:04

Yes. Aargh.

minipie · 22/08/2012 15:18

Oh drop some clues please!

Beautifully done-up Edwardian place with dark stair runner?

Semi-detached Victorian project with fab original tiled hallway?
Tall & skinny Regency/Georgian?

Rhubarbgarden · 22/08/2012 23:11

Regency house on the seafront with gardens front and rear and direct sea views from every room at the front. Done up beautifully in exactly our taste (except for the roll top bath but I could live with that). It's drop dead gorgeous. The absolute dogs bollocks. Way over our budget. Sigh

Schoolworries · 22/08/2012 23:24

Oh, any links Rhubard?

minipie · 23/08/2012 00:20

Ah, got it. Have they done something odd to the windows - what are the black bits? It is vair nicely done.

tb · 27/08/2012 23:20

Last time we were looking to buy we had to buy in a particular village for dd's school, where she seemed to be settling in ok, and bearing in mind she had been a school refuser before.

We had a choice of
a) stone-built house with mains drainage in village centre, needed total renovation - 8 months' work before being liveable, clause in contract that it wasn't habitable until we'd paid to connect it to the mains sewer - there wasn't a septic tank, all waste just 'soaked away'
b) house just outside village, too small, bedroom in cellar was damp, couldn't extend because of the position of the septic tank. And it was next to the village cemetery
c) house just outside village, just after very nasty bend where there'd been a fatal accident. Boiler installed in one part of the basement that totally buggered up the chance of making more of the basement, so really wasted space.

We bought house 'a', spent over ?100,000 on renovation and ended up without having enough money to put a pool in although we've got the space, and can't afford to re-tarmac the drive - think 250 sq m.

However, in the 5 years since we bought, there hasn't been another house we could buy in the same village. None, at all. So, on balance we're glad we bought the one we did.

Except when it's 34C and we haven't a pool. Then I just wish we'd bought a plot of land and put a pool in, and built a 2-3 bed poolhouse to live in. Grrrr!

Mintyy · 27/08/2012 23:28

Think of the area first. The area you want to live in and that is utterly desirable to you. Location is WAY more important than the actual bricks and mortar. Imho.

UnrequitedSkink · 28/08/2012 00:08

I think Mintyy is bang on actually - we liked our house inside, and it was within our budget, but I'm unhappy every time I step outside the front door, with the look of the place and the people that live here... we could have changed an interior elsewhere, but the location is pretty much set in stone. Ah well, you live and learn...

echt · 28/08/2012 09:03

What Mintyy said. Location is the the thing. When we looked to buy in the UK, it was all Edwardian terraces/semis, etc. so we got hooked on side streets only. That was our sticking point. In the end we settled on a main road with a long garden and living room at the rear. So quiet. We loved it.

Here in Oz, where houses are all so different, we thought we had to give up on garden for location. We knew where we wanted to live, or, more accurately, where we didn't want to live. But then we got lucky; a house in the right place with a garden, but a late 70s brown house. LOTS of tongue and groove walls. O.M.G. But you know what, we got busy on the garden and have learned to love the 70s style, not fight it.

5 minutes from the sea, trees everywhere we look. Lovely quiet street with shops 5 minutes away. Fab.

LoosingBattle · 28/08/2012 09:06

We are at that stage. We have now been renting for a year after selling ours. Is getting beyond a joke. Can't find anything, DH wants to settle for an okay house. I am scared we will regret it and something better will come along...so no help at all sorry Grin

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